Chapter Summaries

Key plot points

• Jian Ruonan’s unfiltered thoughts turn the Imperial Study into a tense audience for gossip. The ministers hear her speculate about Emperor Deyuan’s energetic night with pregnant Consort Yi, then nearly expose that some members of his harem may have been unfaithful. Before she reveals details, her attention veers to Eunuch Cao’s secret relationships with three palace maids.
• Emperor Deyuan announces plans to appoint female officials and imperial physicians. He uses the occasion to appoint ten-year-old Jian Ruonan a subordinate ninth-rank Hanlin Attendant, serving in the Imperial Study from the next day.
• Ruonan initially celebrates the low rank because it means she can avoid regular morning court. The emperor immediately grants her the “privilege” of attending every day, prompting furious thoughts and a protective response from the palace guards—though she remains seated and composed.
• Ruonan accepts the appointment despite her protests. She misunderstands her new title as something like a receptionist, then concludes that if she cannot become the emperor’s most trusted minister, she can at least become his greatest threat.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan maintains a demure outward manner while her thoughts are irreverent, restless, and politically disruptive. Her dislike of early mornings and official duties is clear, but she adapts to her appointment with comic resignation.
• Emperor Deyuan is amused by Ruonan’s thoughts and deliberately appoints her, then manipulates the terms to ensure she attends court daily. He enjoys provoking her, though her imagined defiance makes his guards—and sometimes the courtiers—nervous.
• Jian Zhang, Ruonan’s father, is proud of her but mortified by her private commentary and powerless to prevent the appointment.
• Eunuch Cao becomes the subject of gossip about his sworn relationships with palace maids; embarrassed, he quickly orders refreshments for Ruonan.
• The ministers vacillate between fear of hearing dangerous imperial secrets and delight in the gossip, eventually resigning themselves to Ruonan’s daily presence.

Significant themes

• Public composure versus private thought: Ruonan’s polite behavior contrasts sharply with her candid inner monologue.
• Power and authority: The emperor turns an appointment into a command, while Ruonan’s thoughts challenge his control even when she cannot openly resist.
• Gender and opportunity: The proposed creation of female officials and physicians opens new roles for women, though Ruonan herself is less excited by the prospect than the court expects.
• Gossip as comic danger: The ministers’ access to Ruonan’s thoughts offers irresistible entertainment, but imperial secrets could carry serious consequences.

Chapter summary

Key events

• After Jian Ruonan’s appointment, Emperor Deyuan has her stand and listen to court business. When she silently considers flipping his desk, he quickly gives her a stool, tea, and pastries to prevent a scene.
• The court debates who should fill the vacant Minister of Revenue position. Minister of War Pei Junfei and Chief Minister Su Xuelin both begin recommending Governor Wei Han.
• Jian Ruonan’s audible inner thoughts expose Pei’s sexual misconduct and Su’s long-standing love for Pei’s wife, Zhu Youqing—including Su’s gift of the “Lean Horses.” Their revelations derail both recommendations.
• Realizing that speaking risks having their secrets exposed, the ministers fall silent. Su then recommends Jian Ruonan’s father, Vice Minister Jian Zhang, and praises him as the superior candidate.
• Emperor Deyuan recognizes how thoroughly Ruonan has steered the discussion and excuses her from future morning court, fearing her presence will cause further chaos.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan remains irreverent and unpredictable; without formally speaking, her thoughts disrupt the ministers’ plans and ultimately help her father’s prospects.
• Emperor Deyuan is wary of Ruonan but repeatedly accommodates her. He enjoys the resulting gossip, yet concludes that she is too disruptive for regular court attendance.
• Jian Zhang is startled by his daughter’s silent campaigning, then benefits when Su recommends him.
• Pei Junfei withdraws his support for Wei Han after his private behavior is exposed.
• Su Xuelin abandons his apparent support for Wei Han and tactically recommends Jian Zhang, apparently recognizing that praising Ruonan’s father is the safest move.
• The ministers shift from eagerly watching for a scandal to carefully avoiding any recommendation that might expose their own secrets.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and court politics: A low-ranking attendant can influence the highest officials when she possesses—and reveals—their secrets.
• Hypocrisy and reputation: The chapter contrasts the ministers’ public dignity with their private conduct and desires.
• Self-preservation and opportunism: Once the ministers understand the risk, they fall silent; Su turns the situation to his advantage.
• Comedy through unintended consequences: Ruonan’s inner monologue transforms a routine appointment debate into a spectacle and leaves the emperor trying to contain the chaos.

Key plot points and events

• Ten-year-old Jian Ruonan struggles to wake for her first day as an attendant-in-waiting at the Hanlin Academy. Her mother, Min, escorts her, while Ruonan grumbles internally about being made to work so young.
• At roll call, Ruonan activates her Enhanced Gossip Button. Her unusual ability lets people hear her thoughts, though she does not realize how much she is revealing.
• Asked what she is good at, she says “organizing,” then privately admits she would rather eat and sleep. Assigned a pile of documents, she complains about the emperor and overturns the desk in frustration.
• A scholar assigned by the Fourth Prince explains that Ruonan is acting “by imperial decree,” prompting the officials to tolerate her outburst. She is given a private room and promptly sleeps until noon.
• Fu Yongsi, the previous top scholar, criticizes Ruonan’s laziness and argues that women do not belong in the Hanlin Academy. Ruonan’s thoughts expose his plan to marry the Duke of Cheng’s daughter while concealing his existing wife.
• The gossip grows more damning: Fu intends to divorce his first wife and, unable to find grounds, frame her for adultery. Ruonan then reveals that the wife has arrived at the academy. The officials rush off to witness the confrontation.

Character developments

• Jian Ruonan is sleepy, spoiled, blunt, and easily frustrated, but she is also quick-witted about workplace politics. Her gossip ability gives her unexpected influence, even when she does not mean to cause a scene.
• Min is deeply protective and indulgent, worrying over Ruonan as if she were a small child.
• Fu Yongsi is introduced as a proud, ostensibly upright scholar whose ambition and hypocrisy are exposed by Ruonan’s thoughts.
• The Hanlin officials begin curious and disapproving, but quickly become fascinated by Ruonan’s revelations.

Significant themes

• Gossip as power: Ruonan’s private thoughts turn into public revelations that can expose corruption and reshape workplace dynamics.
• Hypocrisy and reputation: Fu’s image as a principled scholar clashes with his schemes to advance socially and betray his wife.
• Authority and privilege: The officials hesitate to discipline Ruonan because they believe her disruptive behavior is protected by imperial orders.
• Workplace satire: The chapter pokes fun at rigid bureaucratic routines, status-conscious scholars, and Ruonan’s very unorthodox approach to official duty.

Character interactions

• Min cares for Ruonan and sends her off with anxious encouragement.
• Ruonan spars with a colleague who mocks her, proudly calling herself her mother’s “little darling.”
• The Hanlin Lecturer tries to assess and assign Ruonan work, while her unfiltered thoughts unsettle the assembled scholars.
• Fu confronts Ruonan to defend the academy’s standards, but she unintentionally dismantles his standing by exposing his private plans.
• The officials’ shared curiosity transforms the academy from a solemn scholarly institution into a gossip-filled crowd.

Plot points and events

• Third-Ranked Scholar Hou Yuchen rushes to find Jian Ruonan after learning that a woman is accusing Top Scholar Fu Yongsi of adultery. Jian, who enjoys gossip, readily joins him.
• At the Hanlin Academy gates, the woman introduces herself as Wu Yehe, Fu’s wife. She says her mother-in-law accused her of adultery, and she has come to ask her husband for help.
• Jian’s thoughts reveal the real story: Fu wants to marry a noblewoman and engineered the accusation after Wu refused a divorce. His family tried to drown Wu in a pig cage, but she survived, escaped, and made the long journey to the capital while pregnant.
• Hou tells Wu that Fu is about to marry the Duke of Cheng’s daughter. When Wu struggles to believe it, Hou offers to summon the prospective bride’s family and Fu’s relatives so the truth can be confronted publicly.
• Hou also arranges for officers to come, anticipating that Fu’s family might try to take Wu away. The chapter ends with Jian praising Hou’s skill at turning gossip into a full investigation.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan is both entertained by the spectacle and genuinely moved by Wu’s suffering. Her thoughts expose the truth, though her colleagues mistake her insight for uncanny foreknowledge.
• Hou Yuchen emerges as Jian’s enthusiastic gossip companion—and a surprisingly practical ally. He listens, acts quickly, gathers witnesses, and considers Wu’s safety.
• Wu Yehe is revealed as a determined survivor: despite violence, betrayal, pregnancy, and exhaustion, she reaches the capital to seek justice.
• Fu Yongsi remains offstage, but the revelations cast him as a calculating husband who betrays Wu for an advantageous marriage.
• The Hanlin scholars shift from suspicion and judgment to sympathy for Wu and admiration for Jian, while redirecting their contempt toward Fu.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus character: Fu’s scholarly refinement does not mean he is honorable.
• Women’s vulnerability and resilience: Wu faces family violence and marital betrayal but persists in seeking justice.
• Public accountability: Hou turns a private accusation into a gathering where powerful people may have to answer for their actions.
• Comedy and complicity: Jian’s love of gossip drives the scene, but her amusement coexists with a real desire to help.

Key events

• Jian Ruonan learns that Candidate Hou, the sharp-witted third-place scholar Hou Yuchen, comes from a powerful Jiangnan clan and is being groomed as its heir. She wonders if he is the “melon-field badger”—a companion for enjoying gossip—but the system cannot explain the feature.
• Hou carefully arranges for the bailiffs and the key people involved in the scandal to arrive in sequence, turning the confrontation outside the Hanlin Academy into a public spectacle.
• Madam Fu attacks Wu Yehe, accusing her of disgrace and insisting the Fu family has disowned her. Hou counters that, under the law, Compiler Fu needs his wife’s consent before taking a concubine.
• Wu Yehe’s sister-in-law arrives and fiercely defends her, accusing the Fu family of framing Wu so Fu Yongsi could advance socially. She and Madam Fu trade insults while the crowd watches.
• The Duke of Cheng’s heir, Zhong Rencheng, arrives with his sister. Fu Yongsi is summoned out from the Hanlin Academy and claims he knew nothing of the marriage and has no feelings for Wu.
• When an official points out that Wu is pregnant, Fu denies the child is his and repeats the claim that she was caught in adultery. Wu nearly faints.
• Wu’s sister-in-law counters with specifics: Fu once shared Wu’s bed, used her dowry to establish himself in the capital, and benefited when she sold her belongings to fund his examination journey. Jian compares Wu’s hardship to the legendary Wang Baochuan.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan is an eager, sharp-tongued spectator who grows impressed by Hou’s skill at orchestrating the confrontation. She sympathizes with Wu and inwardly cheers her defenders.
• Hou Yuchen reveals himself as both socially influential and an expert at provoking people and arranging events. Jian decides she wants to befriend him.
• Wu Yehe remains timid and tearful under attack, struggling to defend herself even as her sister-in-law speaks boldly for her.
• Wu’s sister-in-law becomes Wu’s forceful advocate, exposing Fu’s dependence on Wu’s sacrifices and refusing to be intimidated by the Fu family’s status.
• Fu Yongsi appears evasive and self-serving, hiding until compelled to face the Duke’s heir, then denying responsibility for Wu and her pregnancy.
• Madam Fu relies on insults and the Fu family’s social standing, but her confidence falters when she realizes the Wu family knows what happened.
• Zhong Rencheng arrives as an important authority figure and demands an explanation from Fu.

Significant themes

• The chapter contrasts social status and commoners’ lack of power with the possibility of public truth-telling.
• It highlights marital exploitation and women’s vulnerability, especially through Wu’s lost dowry, labor, and precarious position.
• Public gossip becomes a form of spectacle and pressure: Hou stages events so the influential parties must confront the accusations openly, while Jian and the Hanlin scholars react as an amused audience.

Key plot points and events

• Fu Yongsi denies Wu Yehe’s accusations, claiming she could have spent her dowry on a lover and that her unborn child might not be his. With no evidence, he expects the Heir of Duke Chengguo to believe him.
• Jian Ruonan inwardly insists the allegations are true. In response, a seventy-year-old Hanlin Academician and several colleagues publicly vouch for Wu Yehe.
• The heir realizes Fu is untrustworthy and ends his sister Wan’er’s engagement to him. Wan’er is relieved, though she bluntly says she is glad she won’t have to marry a pauper.
• Fu tries to stop the heir and defend himself. Jian’s thoughts reveal a long history of his misconduct, including theft, voyeurism, stealing temple donations, and—at eighteen—disguising himself as a woman to deceive someone into marriage and take their money.
• Fu has not broken the law in a way that can be prosecuted, but the revelations leave him disgraced and unlikely to find a respectable bride.
• Prince Rui arrives, ostensibly by chance but actually hoping to collect lamp oil from Jian’s gossip-filled thoughts. He finds the Hanlin officials gathered around her, eagerly listening.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan is frustrated that she cannot openly prove Wu’s case, but her inner voice exposes Fu’s past. Her talent for uncovering gossip makes her unexpectedly popular among the Hanlin scholars.
• Fu Yongsi shifts from self-assured denial to panic as his colleagues turn against him and his reputation collapses. His cleverness is portrayed as devoted to deceit.
• Wu Yehe receives public support from the Hanlin officials, though she is too overwhelmed with tears to speak.
• The Heir of Duke Chengguo chooses his sister’s safety over his prior trust in Fu and cancels the engagement.
• Wan’er is relieved to escape the match; her brother gently cautions her to be more tactful.
• The Hanlin officials, including the venerable Academician Qian, show solidarity with Wu and become enthusiastic participants in Jian’s gossip.
• Prince Rui and the Black Tortoise System arrive to harvest lamp oil, only to discover Jian has already captivated the scholars.

Significant themes

• Integrity versus reputation: Fu relies on a lack of formal proof, but the testimony of respected colleagues undermines his credibility.
• Misuse of intelligence and power: Fu’s abilities serve manipulation rather than virtue.
• Collective solidarity: The Hanlin officials’ support helps counter Fu’s attempt to silence Wu.
• Gossip as social exposure: Jian’s private thoughts reveal wrongdoing that the law cannot punish, yet still carry serious social consequences.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Yehe, badly beaten and near miscarriage, appeals to Prince Rui, Dantai Mo, to clear her name. Jian Ruonan privately resolves to recruit her, convinced her resilience will be useful for finding the Previous Dynasty’s treasure.
• Dantai orders his Imperial Guards to investigate. They quickly uncover that Madam Fu framed Wu Yehe by drugging her and a passing merchant and placing them in a bed together. The merchant was later framed and drowned.
• Fu Yongsi tries to win Wu Yehe back with an apology, but she rejects him and asks Dantai to grant her a divorce.
• Dantai approves the divorce, orders Wu Yehe’s dowry returned, and sends those involved in the framing to the Ministry of Justice.
• Afterward, Jian offers Wu Yehe work and gives her money to recover. Wu agrees to meet her at the Jinyang Marquis’s Residence.
• Jian then turns her attention to Dantai, planning to earn more system points by surprising him with agricultural products.

Character developments

• Wu Yehe shifts from enduring abuse and relying on her husband to asserting herself: she clears her name, demands a divorce, and accepts the possibility of starting over.
• Jian Ruonan shows both compassion and opportunism. She supports Wu, but also sees her as a potential recruit for treasure hunting.
• Dantai Mo acts decisively and fairly, using his authority to investigate the case, secure Wu’s divorce and dowry, and punish the guilty. He is also increasingly exasperated by Jian’s gossip-driven priorities.
• Fu Yongsi reveals his self-interest by apologizing only after his prospects are damaged, while Madam Fu’s cruelty and culpability are exposed.

Significant themes

• Justice and reputation: The chapter shows how damaging a false scandal can be, especially in a society where reputation shapes both marriage and career.
• Women’s agency and new beginnings: Wu’s divorce marks a break from a life of sacrifice and mistreatment.
• Resilience and survival: Wu’s persistence earns Jian’s admiration and becomes the basis for her recruitment.
• Gossip and comic contrast: Jian’s irreverent inner thoughts repeatedly undercut the seriousness of the events, while Dantai and the officials are drawn into her fascination with gossip.

Character interactions

• Dantai responds to Wu’s appeal by questioning those involved and then granting her divorce.
• Fu Yongsi’s attempt to reconcile is met with Wu’s firm refusal; her sister-in-law also confronts Madam Fu.
• Jian offers Wu practical support and an uncertain job, encouraging her to recover and live well.
• The Hanlin Officials follow Jian’s lead in lingering to watch the unfolding scandal, much to Dantai’s dismay.

Key events

• Jian Ruonan visits Prince Rui, Dantai Mo, carrying a new crop she claims can help feed the nation. He expects her to present hybrid rice, but she instead unveils a sweet potato.
• She describes its high yields, edible roots and leaves, and ease of storage, then shares a roasted sweet potato with Dantai Mo.
• Dantai Mo is impressed by its taste and imagines how such a crop could ease hunger across Great Xia. His emotional reactions earn Jian conquest points, though his outward response remains cool.
• After she offers to send him more sweet potatoes and cultivation instructions, Jian waits for a reward. Dantai Mo raises his initial offer from one hundred to five hundred taels of gold, which she happily accepts.

Character developments

• Jian Ruonan is practical and strategic: she uses the sweet potato to gain points and a reward, while saving hybrid rice for a later, more effective surprise. She is also candid in her private thoughts about wanting compensation.
• Dantai Mo remains guarded and tries to conceal his interest, but the crop genuinely moves him because of its potential to prevent famine. He is increasingly frustrated by the systems’ commentary and Jian’s apparent knack for manipulating his reactions.
• The systems act as comic commentators. The Black Tortoise System enthusiastically declares that Jian has Dantai Mo under her thumb, while the Big System praises her and helps her strategize.

Significant themes

• Food security and public welfare: The sweet potato’s potential yield represents a possible answer to hunger and hardship.
• Appearance versus inner feeling: Dantai Mo calls the crop merely “passable” despite being impressed, while Jian sees through his performance.
• Pragmatism and strategy: Jian carefully times her reveals to maximize points and negotiates for material rewards.
• Comedy through system commentary: The systems’ teasing contrasts with Dantai Mo’s serious hopes and irritation.

Character interactions

• Jian presents the sweet potato to Dantai Mo and shares it with him, prompting both a private emotional response and a small point gain.
• Dantai Mo and Jian maintain polite outward manners while their inner thoughts reveal mutual awareness of the encounter’s strategic and transactional nature.
• The systems mock Dantai Mo’s concealment and celebrate Jian’s success, intensifying his exasperation.

• Jian Ruonan’s first day as a Hanlin attendant is mostly an easy success: she sleeps, enjoys gossip, and earns a reward. Eunuch Cao then arrives with a personal letter from Emperor Deyuan, ordering her to visit the heartbroken Eldest Princess and persuade her to eat. The emperor promises a rich reward and allows her to use “extreme measures,” so Jian agrees—though she privately resents the unexpected overtime.
• Jian’s system develops: A survey about the Enhanced Gossip Button convinces her that the “One-Tap Groundhog Summon” makes gossip more enjoyable by drawing other enthusiasts into it. She accepts the system’s offer to toggle several functions automatically, but refuses to spend 200 points on the next upgrade, suspecting another trick.
• At the Eldest Princess’s residence, Jian finds the princess isolated and devastated. She has been on a hunger strike for three days because Emperor Deyuan has imprisoned her prince consort. His child with his mistress has been sent away, and the princess’s daughter is being raised elsewhere, leaving her feeling utterly alone. The princess resents Jian, whom she regards as responsible for her husband’s imprisonment.
• Jian tries an unconventional approach: She orders the windows opened and food brought, claiming the dishes are for herself rather than the princess. She then eats enthusiastically, ignoring the princess. The princess’s indignation rises, but when she threatens to have Jian dragged away, an invisible force chokes her; she quickly changes her order to ask for tea for Jian instead. Jian’s inner thoughts reveal that she can provoke the princess but cannot actually let herself die.
• The letter becomes another comic setback: The princess asks Jian to read it, but Jian struggles with the emperor’s cursive. She misreads “Are you still upset?” as “Are you still alive?” The princess is shocked, then realizes her supposed comforter cannot even read the letter properly.
  Character developments and interactions: Jian remains irreverent, self-interested, and resourceful, prioritizing food and rewards while using blunt teasing to unsettle the princess. The Eldest Princess is shown as grief-stricken and emotionally dependent on her imprisoned husband, but still capable of anger and quick self-preservation. Their encounter begins in hostility, with Jian’s deliberately provocative behavior replacing conventional sympathy; the chapter ends before her attempt at consolation can succeed.
  Themes: The chapter contrasts official power and personal vulnerability: the emperor can command comfort, but the princess’s heartbreak resists easy persuasion. It also uses humor and gossip to undercut courtly formality, while highlighting isolation, emotional dependence, and the absurd consequences of Jian’s unreliable system and limited literacy.

Key plot points and events

• The heartbroken Eldest Princess is visited by Official Jian Ruonan, who has been sent by the emperor to comfort her. Jian’s illiteracy—and her mangled attempts to read the emperor’s letter—quickly exasperate the princess.
• The letter advises the princess that Xue Yuanyu is unworthy of her and that plenty of better men exist. The princess remains convinced that no one can replace her beloved consort. Jian’s blunt inner thoughts about the princess’s love-struck devotion only make matters worse.
• Asked how she plans to help, Jian proposes showing the princess different kinds of happiness. She starts with “lowbrow” happiness, insisting the princess eat first. Even her consort’s favorite dishes deepen the princess’s sorrow.
• Jian takes the princess to Ribbon Alley, a crowded, rough part of town unfamiliar to her. There, Jian chooses a martial arts school filled with handsome, muscular apprentices. The princess notices only the smell of sweat, while Jian privately marvels at her lack of appreciation.

Character developments

• The Eldest Princess remains consumed by grief and unable to imagine life without her consort. She is easily angered by Jian’s remarks, but an unseen force prevents her from wishing harm on Jian.
• Jian Ruonan is irreverent, socially unconventional, and convinced that a new romantic interest—or at least a glimpse of attractive men—will cure heartbreak. Her confidence contrasts with her poor reading skills.

Character interactions

• The princess and Jian spar over the letter: Jian misreads it, the princess corrects her, and Jian’s candid inner commentary repeatedly provokes the princess.
• The princess’s grief clashes with Jian’s practical, comic attempts to distract her.
• At the martial arts school, Jian is enthusiastic about the apprentices’ physiques, while the princess reacts with disgust at the sweat, setting up another contrast between their outlooks.

Significant themes

• Heartbreak and recovery: The chapter treats the princess’s grief sincerely but humorously questions whether devotion must define her future.
• Privilege and perspective: Jian sees the princess as blind to the freedom and opportunities her wealth and status could offer.
• Comedy through contrast: The princess’s romantic solemnity, Jian’s blunt thoughts, and her illiteracy create much of the chapter’s humor.

Key plot points and events

• Jian Ruonan takes the Eldest Princess to Jingwu Martial Arts Hall, promising to show her the pleasure of spending money. The Princess must pay for the outing.
• Jian Ruonan offers increasingly large sums to recruit handsome, muscular trainees for “games.” The instructor initially objects on grounds of dignity and reputation, but the apprentices eagerly volunteer once the fee reaches two hundred taels each.
• Jian Ruonan selects unmarried men roughly sixteen to twenty years old. The Princess initially insists that none could compare with her husband, but she is plainly captivated by the trainees.
• Jian Ruonan suggests games including “Blindfolded Consort Hunt” and role-playing. The Princess protests that the latter is vulgar, then agrees when told it is the Emperor’s wish.
• Too embarrassed to choose herself, the Princess asks Jian Ruonan to pick. Jian Ruonan excludes two trainees and announces that everyone else will return to the Princess’s residence.

Character developments

• Jian Ruonan demonstrates that she is resourceful, persuasive, and skilled at using money to get what she wants. She also openly envies the Princess’s wealth, status, and freedom.
• The Eldest Princess moves from suspicion and indignation to excited anticipation. She tries to preserve a refined, loyal image while her interest in the young men becomes increasingly obvious.
• Instructor Hu shifts from stern refusal to eager cooperation as the proposed payment rises; the apprentices are even quicker to accept.

Significant themes

• Money and influence: Wealth overcomes objections and turns a supposedly improper proposal into an eager transaction.
• Appearance versus reality: The Princess’s claims of refined taste and devotion to her husband clash humorously with her fascination with the trainees.
• Freedom and privilege: Jian Ruonan envies the Princess’s ability to pursue pleasure thanks to her wealth and position.
• Humor through innuendo: The scene’s comedy relies on suggestive games, unspoken motives, and the contrast between respectable language and obvious desire.

Character interactions

• Jian Ruonan teases and persuades the Princess while arranging the outing, and the Princess alternates between mistrusting her and being impressed by her cleverness.
• Jian Ruonan bargains with Instructor Hu, whose concern for the hall’s reputation gives way to financial temptation.
• The apprentices eagerly compete for the paid opportunity, while the Princess tries to hide her attraction and lets Jian Ruonan make the final selection.

Plot points and events

• Imprisoned imperial son-in-law Xue Yuanyu expects the Eldest Princess to secure his release, believing she is still devoted to him. When his meals stop and no one comes, he waits for days, growing hungry and confused.
• Su Haoyan visits in disguise with food and tells Xue that the Princess ended her hunger strike soon after Lord Jian arrived—and has been laughing and enjoying herself. Xue refuses to believe it, then learns that Lord Jian is Jian Ruonan, the diviner he suspects of possessing a hidden ability. He urges Su to seek help from the State Preceptor.
• Emperor Deyuan, worried that his sister’s hunger strike might force him to release Xue, learns she has resumed eating. He is astonished to hear that she and Jian Ruonan are now playing together.
• The Emperor secretly visits the Princess’s residence and discovers an elaborate, risqué adventure staged by Jian: the Princess, dressed as a masked swordswoman, rescues handsome “prisoners” from execution. The Emperor is shocked at first, then impressed by Jian’s inventiveness.

Character development and interactions

• Xue Yuanyu remains arrogant and self-absorbed. He assumes the Princess’s life revolves around him and cannot accept that she may be happy without him.
• The Eldest Princess appears to have shifted her attention away from Xue, abandoning her hunger strike and enthusiastically joining Jian’s theatrical game.
• Jian Ruonan emerges as a clever, playful influence who quickly changes the Princess’s mood and designs an entertaining spectacle.
• Emperor Deyuan moves from anxious concern about his sister to startled amusement at her newfound freedom. His memories of their childhood underscore his affection for her.
• Su Haoyan delivers the news to Xue, while Xue’s dismissive response highlights the gap between his assumptions and reality.

Significant themes

• Independence and emotional change: The Princess’s renewed appetite and enjoyment suggest she is no longer wholly defined by her attachment to Xue.
• Self-delusion and irony: Xue confidently imagines the Princess pining for him, while the reader sees her having fun without him.
• Play, performance, and comic subversion: Jian’s elaborate role-play turns a serious situation into farce and overturns the Emperor’s expectations of proper royal behavior.

Key plot points and events

• The Eldest Princess ends her dramatic hunger strike after Official Jian comforts her with porridge. When Emperor Deyuan asks about Xue Yuanyu, she pretends to accept his punishment, declaring that they were “destined to meet, but not to be together”—a sharp reversal of her earlier vows of eternal devotion.
• Impressed by Jian Ruonan’s influence over the princess, the emperor offers her a reward. Though she privately considers a death-exemption medallion and pandas, she publicly asks for an Imperial Sword, claiming she wants to defend the people and punish corrupt officials.
• The emperor grants the sword, partly as protection for Jian Ruonan, who has made many enemies. She privately celebrates its imagined power to behead everyone from foolish rulers to slanderous ministers, alarming the emperor.
• Back at the Jinyang Marquis’s Residence, Jian Ruonan learns that Shu Zijing—the powerful Eastern Depot superintendent Pu Jingyi’s adopted son—has brought betrothal gifts for the Eldest Princess. The family feels pressured to accept because of his connections; the old madam is delighted.
• After the system gives her information about Shu, Jian Ruonan decides to confront the situation. Armed with the Imperial Sword, she sets off with little Teng to challenge the proposed marriage.

Character developments and interactions

• The Eldest Princess shifts from theatrical despair to a calculated appearance of resignation, while remaining interested in improving her dramatic performances.
• Jian Ruonan continues to disguise self-serving or playful motives beneath grand, righteous speeches. Her new Imperial Sword makes her bolder, and she immediately turns it toward the family’s crisis.
• Emperor Deyuan is delighted by Jian Ruonan’s usefulness and considers bringing her into the Imperial Study to help counter officials who threaten dramatic protest. His confidence wavers when he realizes she imagines using the sword against him.
• Little Teng eagerly flatters Jian Ruonan, then shares the news about Shu Zijing. He trusts her enough to lead her toward the reception hall.
• The household is divided: Jian Ruonan’s parents entertain Shu, the Eldest Princess mourns privately, and the old madam welcomes the match.

Significant themes

• Performance and political theater: The princess and Jian Ruonan both use dramatic roles and speeches to influence others.
• Power and corruption: Shu Zijing’s status comes from his adoptive father’s influence, showing how political connections can make even a disreputable man difficult to refuse.
• Satire of court politics: The emperor’s plans to expose self-righteous officials—and his fear of Jian Ruonan’s sword—undercut the dignity of imperial politics.
• Family loyalty and agency: Jian Ruonan’s response suggests she will use her newly granted authority to protect her sister, even against formidable political pressure.

Plot points and events

• Newly appointed Subordinate Ninth Rank official Jian Ruonan enters the family hall with her black-wrapped Imperial Sword, eager to show off her authority. Her cousin Teng enthusiastically hypes her up, while her family worries she may provoke the dangerous visitor, Shu Zijing.
• Shu, adopted son of the Eastern Depot’s director, is visiting with Jian Lang and Madam Shi. He has openly predatory interest in Jian Xilu and Jian Ruonan, and the family fears the consequences of offending him.
• Jian Ruonan deliberately treats Shu as an unruly commoner who should kneel before an official. She also turns Madam Shi’s sarcasm about her “imposing air” into a chance to parade around and demonstrate it.
• Jian Zhang first tries to carry his daughter away, but changes course when Teng reminds him that she has an Imperial Sword. The family steps back and lets her confront Shu.
• When Jian Lang identifies Shu’s powerful connections, Jian Ruonan declares that her sword lets her punish evil and that she would cut down even the Eastern Depot’s director. The chapter ends with the room stunned by her claim.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan shifts from her usual outwardly meek manner to brazen, theatrical defiance, using her new post and Imperial Sword to challenge people who intimidate her family. Her confidence is comic, but her threats may have serious consequences.
• Teng acts as her exuberant cheerleader, egging her on and relishing the spectacle.
• Jian Zhang and Min are frightened for Ruonan and try to protect her, but ultimately trust—or hope in—the protection her Imperial Sword may offer.
• Madam Shi and Jian Lang expect Ruonan to be humiliated and provoke her with sarcasm and insults, only to be thrown off by her unrestrained confidence.
• Shu Zijing is presented as powerful, spiteful, and lecherous; his interest in the young women makes the family’s fear of him especially acute.

Significant themes

• Power and status: Ruonan uses her official rank and Imperial Sword to reverse the usual hierarchy, though her low rank makes her boasts especially audacious.
• Courage versus recklessness: Her defiance protects her family’s dignity but risks provoking a dangerous political enemy.
• Family loyalty and protection: Her relatives fear for her, while Teng’s encouragement and the family’s eventual withdrawal show their support.
• Comedy through contrast: Ruonan’s bombastic performance, her private excitement, and the others’ alarm turn a threatening confrontation into farce.

Key plot points and events

• Jian Lang and Shu Zijing dismiss Jian Ruonan’s claim that she possesses an Imperial Sword. Jian Lang tries to placate Shu while blaming Jian Ruonan and urging her father, Jian Zhang, to take her away.
• Jian Ruonan reveals the ornate sword and draws it, then attacks Shu Zijing when he insists she produce an Imperial Edict. One blow splits a table, and she chases him around the room.
• Eunuch Cao arrives with the Emperor’s decree, confirming that Jian Ruonan has been granted the Imperial Sword to punish villains and uphold justice. Rather than help Shu, Cao quickly leaves—and shuts the doors behind him.
• Shu uses Jian Lang as a shield, but Jian Ruonan wounds her uncle’s shoulder. Shu then hides behind the old madam. Jian Ruonan swings at her too, and the old woman faints.

Character developments

• Jian Ruonan proves fearless, confrontational, and fiercely protective of her family. Her playful, dramatic threats become real violence once she draws the sword.
• Jian Zhang and Min cautiously keep their distance, while Jian Zhang privately approves of Jian Ruonan’s attack on Shu.
• Jian Lang shifts from smugly condemning his niece to panicking when the sword and edict prove genuine.
• Shu Zijing goes from arrogant threats to desperate evasion, discovering that his powerful godfather offers no protection here.
• Eunuch Cao recognizes the danger of opposing Jian Ruonan and chooses self-preservation.

Significant themes

• Power and legitimacy: The Imperial Edict transforms Jian Ruonan’s supposed bluff into unquestionable authority.
• Family loyalty and protection: Jian Ruonan’s violence is framed as retaliation against those who threaten her family.
• Arrogance and reversal: Shu and Jian Lang underestimate Jian Ruonan, only to lose control once her authority is confirmed.
• Comic bravado: Dramatic swordplay and exaggerated threats contrast with the characters’ very real fear.

Character interactions

• Jian Lang tries to manage both Shu and Jian Ruonan, siding with Shu until the edict changes the balance of power.
• Shu threatens Jian Ruonan’s family, then grabs Jian Lang and the old madam as shields.
• Jian Ruonan warns her relatives to move but shows no hesitation about striking when they remain in her way.
• Eunuch Cao confirms the sword’s legitimacy, refuses Shu’s plea for help, and assists Jian Ruonan by shutting the doors.

Plot and events

• Jian Ruonan uses the Imperial Sword to punish Shu Zijing, a notorious bully who has abused women and their families. Exhausted after a few swings, she manages to cut off one of his fingers. He leaves the Jinyang Marquis’s Residence with his betrothal gifts, while the old lady recovers from her fright and Second Uncle hides at home, fearing retaliation.
• Peace returns to the residence, and Jian Ruonan’s eleventh birthday approaches. Her parents plan an extravagant celebration, which is also meant to formally recognize her as the family’s legitimate daughter.
• On the morning of the banquet, Jian Chuxue brings Min soup and tries to use her birthday—shared with Ruonan—to appeal to Min’s affection and preserve her legitimate-daughter status. Min rejects her, insists her status will be corrected to concubine-born, and tells her she may return to Concubine Zhou.
• Chuxue argues that she is acting for Ruonan’s sake, but Jian Zhang overhears her and sees through the excuse. He orders her sent to Zhou’s country estate, then goes to fetch gold for Ruonan.
• Meanwhile, Dantai Mo prepares a birthday gift for Ruonan. His mobility has worsened as the Black Tortoise System’s Lamp Oil supply dwindles. The system proposes an unexpected solution: instead of currying favor with Ruonan, it will try to win over the “Big System.”

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan shows boldness and a strong sense of justice, though her ten-year-old body limits her stamina. She punishes Shu Zijing without seriously injuring him beyond the severed finger.
• Min firmly rejects Chuxue’s emotional appeal, her anger rooted in the deception that kept her separated from her biological daughter.
• Jian Chuxue reveals her fear of losing status and attempts to manipulate Min by presenting herself as devoted and concerned for Ruonan. Her scheme fails when Jian Zhang overhears her.
• Jian Zhang chooses Ruonan over Chuxue after learning she has continued scheming against her. His decision marks a clear break with the daughter he had once planned to support.
• Dantai Mo and the Black Tortoise System remain caught in a comic struggle over dwindling resources. Mo is wary of the system’s “masterstrokes,” while the system proposes courting the more powerful Big System.

Significant themes

• Justice and power: Ruonan uses the Imperial Sword’s authority against a protected abuser.
• Family, betrayal, and belonging: The birthday announcement formalizes Ruonan’s place in the family, while Chuxue’s loss of status exposes the consequences of the birth switch and her own scheming.
• Manipulation versus sincerity: Chuxue’s show of filial devotion is undermined by her motives.
• Dependency and comic desperation: Mo’s physical progress depends on scarce Lamp Oil, prompting the system’s increasingly absurd plans.

Plot points and events

• Dantai Mo’s Black Tortoise System proposes approaching Jian Ruonan’s Big System to obtain its surplus “lamp oil,” insisting it can win the system over without exposing Dantai. Dantai is alarmed and orders it not to cause trouble.
• The system’s plan also raises the possibility of uncovering who caused Dantai’s mysterious horseback accident. He still vividly remembers the attack by wild horses and is determined to find the culprit, though he has no new evidence.
• Jian Ruonan’s extravagant eleventh-birthday banquet draws high-ranking guests and lavish gifts from the emperor, the Empress Dowager, and several princes. Her parents worry that the imperial attention may lead to a political marriage, but resolve to investigate Young Master Wang, whom she likes.
• Ruonan counts her gifts, especially admiring the Fourth Prince’s box of gold ingots. Her Big System reports detecting another system at the banquet. Ruonan advises it to pretend to be an unaffiliated wandering system and gather information without revealing her.
• Ruonan continues pursuing her scheme to earn points from the Fourth Prince: she studies books on livestock care and plans to use her cow-midwifery skill to impress him.
• Shu Zijing, still recovering from losing a finger to the Imperial Sword, goes to his godfather Pu Jingyi for help but is beaten for causing a public scandal. It is revealed that Pu is actually his maternal uncle and took him in to preserve the family line.
• The Duke of Cheng’en visits Pu Jingyi on behalf of the Third Prince, who wants to marry Ruonan as his principal consort. The Duke says imperial favor makes Ruonan a potential route to the Crown Prince’s position, while Ruonan’s family is preparing a match with the Wang family. Pu agrees to handle the matter.

Character developments and interactions

• Dantai Mo remains guarded and focused on the unresolved plot against him; he distrusts his system’s reckless confidence.
• The Black Tortoise System is boastful and scheming, while Ruonan’s Big System is comparatively self-aware and willing to follow her instructions.
• Ruonan is resourceful, cautious about the newly detected system, and still treats her gifts and system rewards as opportunities to advance her plans.
• Ruonan’s parents are protective and begin actively considering her future marriage, balancing her feelings for Young Master Wang against mounting imperial interest.
• Pu Jingyi is stern but personally invested in Shu Zijing, whom he privately regards as family. He also shows a calculating side by accepting the Third Prince’s marriage maneuver.
• The Duke of Cheng’en and Pu discuss how to secure Ruonan for the Third Prince without attracting suspicion; their political plans conflict with the Jinyang Marquis household’s intentions.

Significant themes

• Political marriage and power: Ruonan’s growing favor at court makes her a prize in the succession struggle.
• Secrecy and suspicion: Both Dantai and Ruonan worry about revealing their systems or becoming targets.
• Family and protection: Ruonan’s parents seek to safeguard her future, while Pu’s harsh treatment of Shu masks a family bond.
• Ambition and manipulation: Characters pursue influence through covert plans, matchmaking, and strategic use of connections.

Key plot points and events

• Min disguises a matchmaking meeting with Madam Wang as a family visit to Clear Void Abbey. She plans to introduce Jian Ruonan to Wang Enze—better known as the famous Wang Defa—without telling Ruonan.
• News of the match sets off a flurry of preparations. The Third Prince, Dantai Huai, dresses extravagantly, hoping to impress Ruonan; the Fourth Prince, Dantai Mo, initially doubts the rumor, then rushes to change his clothes when he learns Wang Defa is the prospective match. Commandery Princess Jia Rou also dresses up, hoping to “accidentally” meet the Third Prince.
• At the abbey, the priests welcome Ruonan as a revered “Celestial Venerable,” impressed by her medical knowledge, divination, appointment as Great Xia’s first female official, and imperial sword. They give her their recent earnings, which she accepts after confirming they have behaved themselves.
• Ruonan discovers that Abbey Master Li’s supposed immortality pills contain dangerous levels of lead and mercury. She warns him to stop taking them, recognizes his poisoning symptoms, and invents a cultivation system from memory of novels, giving him a safer pursuit.
• Ruonan reassures Priest Xu that he need not change his cross-dressing, so long as he is happy.
• Priest Zhang, ostracized after worshippers learned he is not fully male, feels directionless. Ruonan gives him a new purpose: mastering pig castration, which could improve the taste of pork and benefit the public. She even supplies a nonsensical mantra—“Sumimasen, GG Bond”—which Zhang treats as profound wisdom.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan continues to blend genuine medical expertise with playful improvisation. The priests’ awe gives her authority, which she uses both to prevent harm and to redirect their lives.
• Abbey Master Li moves from misplaced faith in a dangerous immortality formula to accepting Ruonan’s warning and beginning meditation instead.
• Priest Xu receives affirmation rather than pressure to change his identity or presentation.
• Priest Zhang regains confidence and a sense of purpose through Ruonan’s absurd but practical suggestion.
• The princes and Jia Rou reveal romantic ambitions through their competing plans to dress well and attract attention, setting up possible rivalry around Ruonan’s match.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: A spiritual meeting hides a matchmaking arrangement, while “immortality” pills are actually poison.
• Knowledge and authority: Ruonan’s real medical insight is mistaken for supernatural power, and she uses that perceived authority to help others.
• Acceptance and reinvention: Xu is encouraged to be himself, while Zhang finds a new path after social rejection.
• Humor and practical reform: Ruonan turns an eccentric suggestion into a potentially useful public benefit—better pork through pig castration.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• After Jian Ruonan advises the Three Taoist Masters, they leave impressed, further strengthening their faith in her.
• Big System warns Jian that the Duke of Cheng’en has arranged a trap to pressure her into marrying the Third Prince. The Duke also plans a secret meeting with the Imperial College director’s wife at the Taoist temple. Intrigued by the scandal, Jian decides to watch the gossip unfold while staying alert.
• Dantai Mo is escorted into the rear courtyard just as the Third Prince arrives, dressed extravagantly in gold to attract Jian’s attention.
• Jian privately mocks the Third Prince’s appearance and mannerisms, while appearing polite and deferential to him in person.
• The Third Prince discovers that Jian’s thoughts can be heard inside his mind. He mistakes this ability for another divine power and becomes even more determined to claim her.
• He offers Jian a special pastry, but she refuses after noticing that he picked his nose before handling it. He then crushes the pastry in a dramatic display, which Jian sarcastically rates as nearly—but not quite—perfect.
• The chapter ends with Jian observing that the Third Prince is short, striking directly at his greatest insecurity.

Character developments

• Jian Ruonan remains outwardly courteous but internally irreverent, easily distracted by food and scandal, and unmoved by the Third Prince’s attempts to impress her.
• The Third Prince is revealed as vain, theatrical, and convinced that Jian will eventually be won over by his looks, wealth, or food. After hearing her thoughts, he becomes convinced her abilities are divine. His intense sensitivity about his height is exposed.
• Dantai Mo feels threatened by the Third Prince’s showy courtship, though he tries to remain composed. His Black Tortoise System repeatedly urges him to compete for Jian’s affection.
• Min, Xilu, and Teng respond differently to Jian’s inner commentary: Min worries about the danger of offending an imperial prince, while her siblings are more accustomed to her outrageous thoughts.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: The Third Prince’s glittering outfit and grand gestures fail to impress Jian.
• Comedy through inner thoughts: Jian’s private insults contrast sharply with her respectful outward behavior, and others’ reactions amplify the humor.
• Power and courtship: The Duke’s matchmaking plot and the Third Prince’s pursuit show how marriage can be used as a political tool.
• Insecurity beneath bravado: The Third Prince’s confidence masks a deep sensitivity about being considered short.

Character interactions

• Jian and Big System treat the Duke’s scheming as a potential source of entertainment, even as it poses a danger.
• The Third Prince courts Jian with flashy clothing and pastries; she responds with formal politeness and private ridicule.
• Dantai Mo and Black Tortoise System fret over the Third Prince as a rival, while Jian remains completely unimpressed by the competition.

Key plot points and events

• The Third Prince leaves after Jian Ruonan and her companions openly stare at his height-boosting insoles. The Black Tortoise System warns that Jian’s sharp mockery could push him toward becoming evil.
• Commandery Princess Jiarou asks Jian to slip a knockout drug into the Third Prince’s tea. Jian first objects that it is illegal, then eagerly agrees when Jiarou pays her in gold.
• Jian privately mocks the Third Prince, revealing that he has hemorrhoids and is trying to numb them with Sichuan peppercorns. Jiarou is horrified but remains determined to drug him, ordering Jian to use all the powder.
• Jian passes the drug to Abbot Li, who arranges for a young Taoist to administer it. He also tells Jian that a dozen armed men are hiding in the temple’s rear grove.
• The Big System reveals that the Duke of Cheng’en hired the men to pose as bandits, giving the Third Prince a chance to rescue Jian and win her affection. The duke is also heading to a secret meeting with the wife of the Director of the Imperial College, using the trip to establish an alibi.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan remains irreverent and opportunistic: she masks her insults with flattery, accepts Jiarou’s bribe, and delegates the drugging rather than doing it herself. Learning that armed men are waiting to stage a rescue, she is more excited by the duke’s secret rendezvous than worried about the danger.
• Commandery Princess Jiarou is fiercely loyal to the Third Prince and tries to help him by drugging him. Jian’s blunt thoughts about his appearance and health shake her, but she does not abandon her plan.
• The Third Prince is sensitive about his short stature and leaves angrily after being mocked. His systems suggest that both Jian’s teasing and Jiarou’s interference may complicate his plans.
• Abbot Li agrees to carry out Jian’s instructions once he learns Jiarou will bear responsibility. He also provides information about the hidden attackers.
• The systems comment on the characters’ schemes, while Jian’s exchanges with Jiarou, Abbot Li, and the Third Prince’s entourage expose the gap between her polite speech and her unfiltered inner thoughts.

Significant themes

• Appearance and insecurity: The Third Prince’s height preoccupies him, shaping his choice of servants and use of insoles.
• Hypocrisy and hidden thoughts: Jian’s respectful outward manner contrasts with her savage private commentary, which Jiarou can hear.
• Schemes and manipulation: The drugging plot and staged bandit attack reveal how characters try to control events and engineer romance.
• Comedy through reversal: Jian treats dangerous or improper situations as opportunities for money, gossip, and amusement.